An artificial intelligence educational strategy for the digital transformation

This paper presents a strategy of state-of-the-art review of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and a case study about preparing students to have the competencies and skills necessary for the current and future digital transformation to Industry 4.0. The goal is to support institutions of higher education to build curricula that help companies by providing them with qualified human capital to face the challenges of the twenty first century that have brought about the work environment now referred to as Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The strategy consists of a business intelligence summary of AI trends and challenges of interest to academic institutions with an emphasis in intelligent human–computer communication and interactive design and manufacturing for educating engineers for the future enterprise. We also present a case study that builds upon 35 years of experience in offering AI academic programs in the institution, Tecnologico de Monterrey (Tec) to educate future engineers and knowledge workers. The components of our case study comprise graduate and undergraduate courses, research, internships, innovation, internationalization initiatives, and entrepreneurship. In this period, more than 5200 students have been trained at the Ph.D., MSc, and undergraduate levels with intense use of technology in the AI field. Now, the curricula of the university have been overhauled and renewed according to a new educative model known as the Tec21 Educative Model. The course offerings under this model are structured with challenge-based-learning, physical and virtual practice labs, and mixed teaching methodologies to accommodate the digital transformation and demands of Industry 4.0 to educate and prepare the new generation of students. The strategy and case study presented may be useful guides for other higher education institutions implementing AI academic programs to educate students demanded by the companies of the XXI century.